Julie and Greg Sims carry forward the family values that have guided Bolton Garage for more than 30 years.

Words by Cooper Kirkpatrick | Images by Nick Rizzo

Bolton Garage has been a trusted part of Jasper’s automotive community for more than 30 years. The auto repair shop was founded in 1994 by Willice and Jane Bolton. Today, their daughter, Julie, and her husband, Greg Sims, are carrying the family business forward, with Greg serving as its primary proprietor.

Willice worked with cars for many years before opening Bolton Garage, including serving as a service writer at a local dealership, where he interacted directly with customers. That experience motivated him to build a business of his own that would challenge the somewhat negative stigma surrounding the auto repair industry by providing customers with a transparent and convenient experience.

“My father wanted to make sure he’d repair a customer’s car the way he’d repair his wife’s or his daughter’s car. To be both reliable and honest with customers. That’s just the kind of man he was,” Julie says.

With that promise, Bolton Garage was born. Willice remained committed to providing honest, quality repairs with no hidden stipulations or surprises.

Julie had recently graduated from high school when the business opened, allowing her to work closely with her father as a record keeper. That experience helped her develop a skill set that would later prove valuable in her continued involvement with the business.

Greg first came to work for Willice in 2000, primarily performing electrical work on vehicles. His specialized skills made him an invaluable employee, and he and Willice soon developed a close friendship.

“Willice had a great work ethic. We saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and I still to this day go about doing things a certain way just because he did them,” Greg says.

In January 2012, Greg approached Willice about purchasing the business. Because of their relationship and shared approach to the work, Willice was delighted to accept. Since then, Greg has kept Bolton Garage thriving with the help of Julie, who continues to manage a wide variety of responsibilities within the business.

Willice passed away in 2015, but his legacy remains evident in Julie’s contributions and Greg’s commitment to the customer-first mindset Willice established. That legacy also extends to the next generation, as all four of Julie and Greg’s children are involved in the business to some extent.

More than three decades after its founding, Bolton Garage remains a reliable and respected part of Jasper’s automotive community. With Julie and Greg at the helm, and with Willice’s values still guiding the work, Bolton Garage remains committed to the honest, reliable service on which it was built. 78